Usually A Nice Ride
The Paul Douglas Preserve is in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and bounded by Algonquin, Roselle, Central, and Freeman roads. It is the closest loop trail to my house and is usually a nice ride. I regularly see wildlife, mostly deer, squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks. Occasionally I've also seen coyotes, turkeys, raccoons, opossums, frogs, turtles, and snakes.
It's a relatively low-use trail. You'll see other riders and hikers, but nothing like the nearby Palatine or Busse Woods trails. My preference is to ride the trail clockwise. The predominant winds in the area are from the southwest, and a clockwise loop seems to provide a bit more shelter from the wind than the reverse loop.
If you're looking for extra mileage, following the solid line on the map and turning around at Ela (north) or Roselle (east) adds about 6 miles. This also makes for a safer trip, as it reduces exposure to the two major road crossings.
The Less Nice Parts
The road crossings at Algonquin and at Ela can be dangerous. Vehicles turning right onto Algonquin from Roselle are looking left down Algonquin and many don't look at the bike crossing before turning right. Likewise, vehicles turning north from either direction on Algonquin to Ela often do not respect the crossing. Keep your eyes open and ride defensively.
The bugs usually aren't too bad, but there tends to be a week or so in the early fall when the gnats are so bad it's not worth riding. They were so thick one year I had to wear a neck gaiter over my face just to breathe, particularly on the south side along Central Road.
Nearby Trails
- Palatine Trail - Head east from the northeast corner at Algonquin and Roselle roads to ride north on the Palatine Trail.
- Busse Woods - Head further east down Algonquin Road to get to Busse Woods. My preference is to cross the tollway and then turn left on Tower Road and enter Busse Woods from the north on Golf Road rather than going further down into the Woodfield Mall area.
- Busse Woods - Another option for Busse Woods is to head south down Roselle from the southeast corner and turn east at Hillcrest Boulevard. Follow the bike trail through the Schaumburg business park and over to Plum Grove Road. Turn south for a half block and then east on State Parkway to Tower Road. Follow Tower Road over to Golf and then east to the Busse Woods north entrance.
- Poplar Creek Trail - Head west from near the southest corner down Lakewood Boulevard and then south on Barrington Road. Turn west on Hassell Road and then South on Greenspoint Parkway to enter Poplar Creek Trail at Shoe Factory Road.
Nearby Bike Shops
A quick shout out to the guys at Crank Revolution Bike Shop just off the northwest corner of the trail at the corner of Algonquin and Freeman Roads. These guys really know their stuff and are always very helpful. They also tend to be faster on repairs than other bike shops in the area, at least in my experience.
